I Smile, But She Doesn't See
by Mad-like
Summary: We're taking a trip in the way-back machine to the very beginning of Mercedes and Sam's relationship, that is - pre-Kentucky.
1. Chapter 1

This story involves a trip in the wayback machine to the time when Sam and Mercedes first started dating. Two parts.

* * *

><p>"Who's coming tonight?" Stacey sat on the edge of the bed, her short legs dangling over the edge.<p>

"Quinn." Sam said, buttoning up his uniform. He could see the slight frown that flickered across Stacey's face. "Something wrong?"

"No, it'll be fun." Stacey said quickly.

"She can help us identify these rocks." Stevie added, pulling out a shoebox full of rocks and leaves.

"Where'd you get those?" he asked, sitting down on the floor between his brother and sister.

"Yesterday. Mercedes took us to the lake yesterday. That's why I hoped she was coming. She took us on a nature walk, that what she called it."

"But she doesn't know much about the woods." Stevie said good-naturedly. "She called them all oak trees and she called all the birds LBBs, little brown birds. I told her we'd take her fishing."

"She screamed!" Stacey laughed. "She said the only fish she wanted to see was on a sissy bar. What's a sissy bar?"

A sissy bar? Sam thought. Nationals in New York. "Sushi! I think she meant a sushi bar. Raw fish, ugh!"

"Raw fish? Ugh!" Stacey repeated. "Quinn brings her laptop. She knows how to look up stuff. That's good."

"Which one do you like best?" Sam teased, and immediately regretted it. They're both doing him a big favor, babysitting for free. How could Stacey and Stevie choose?

"Both." they said together. "Mercedes takes us places, Quinn teaches us stuff. Which one do you like better?"

"Both!" he said. Quinn's sexy and Mercedes is sweet Sam thought.

"I know which one you like best." Stevie declared. "Mercedes!"

Stacey nodded solemnly and added "You smile at Mercedes."

"I smile at both of them."

"You smile at Mercedes, even when she isn't looking at you!"

"No I don't." Why do they think that?

"Yes you do!" she insisted. "I saw you do it."

* * *

><p>Sam stood behind the counter at one of his many jobs, this one at the pizza parlor. Between waiting on customers, making pizzas for customers or cleaning up after customers he stared at Mercedes. She was sitting at the other end of the pizza parlor, with Rachel, Finn, Kurt and Blaine. She was sitting closest to the window and while the others joked and flirted with each other she spent most of her time looking at the parking lot. Someone, usually Kurt, would say something to her and she'd smile and respond but mostly she looked out the window. For the first time in his life Sam wondered what was going on in somebody else's head.<p>

Sam barely knew Mercedes, even after a year of glee club. He knew some people didn't like her attitude but actually, she didn't really say much. More than Tina talks but definitely less than Rachel or Santana. Now there's two girls with an abundance of attitude. Everybody says Rachel is the better singer but he likes Mercedes' voice better. It's warmer and you feel like singing along. Technically Rachel may be better but you just want to listen, not sing along.

_His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me_. She was singing that to Stevie and Stacey last week, when he came home, trying to put them to bed. Of course that didn't work, who can sleep when she's singing? _I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. _Is she happy? What a weird question, why wouldn't she be happy? She has a home, friends, money. Sam pushed the thought out of his mind and went over to clean off a table.

* * *

><p><strong>Early the next morning<strong>

Sam showered quickly, with so many people sharing so small a space you learn not to waste time in the bathroom. After getting dressed he knelt down beside Stevie and Stacey.

"Shhh! Hey, it's time to get up if we're going to the carnival!" His mom had gotten free tickets through work. He'd have to be careful about money but it could be a great day.

"Tired!" Stevie groaned. "I don't wanna."

"You don't want to go to the carnival?" Sam wasn't too upset. He could sit out front and read a book for a while, until they woke up. Sam's not much for reading but the idea of an hour or two with no place to go made a book seem like a good idea. Happily Mike and Tina introduced him to anime and manga, which are not comic books as he reminded his dad.

"Sam." his mother whispered, trying not to wake his dad. "Why don't you just take off? I'm off today and I'll take the babies later."

"I'm not a baby!" Stevie complained, half asleep.

"I don't mind waiting. I don't know what I'd do with myself and a free day."

"You won't be by yourself. Mercedes is coming."

"Mercedes?" Sam was alarmed and slightly excited at the same time. First he wondered what he'd find to say to Mercedes after the first 10 minutes. Then he wondered about the excitement, he'd never spent more than 5 minutes talking to her.

"Yes, Mercedes. It's not much but I offered her carnival tickets. She said she hasn't been in years. Seemed like she was looking forward to it."

* * *

><p>"Hi, Sam. Where is everybody?" Mercedes was getting out of her car and walking towards where Sam was sitting at a picnic table on the motel patio. She was smiling, happy and looking kinda cute, Sam noticed for the first time. She was wearing jeans and a dark blue sparkly t-shirt that reminded him of the dress she wore for that concert nobody came to. She looked really cute that night too, now that he's thinking about it. Her hair was loose and curly, not pulled back like she usually wore it. She seemed...relaxed.<p>

"I am everybody."

She frowned, like this this was a joke she didn't get. "What do you mean?"

"My mom wants to take the babies later. She wants to bond with them. It's just us."

"Just us?" She tensed up.

"If you still want to go." he wondered why she was so tense all of a sudden.

"Do you want to go, with just me?" Now she seemed anxious, like she actually thought he'd say no.

He laughed and she looked at him. Don't laugh at me, that look said. He quickly took her hand and adopted a cheesy accent. "Fine lady, I thought you'd never ask!" which seemed to relax her.

"Okay, kind sir, my noble steed awaits."

* * *

><p>Sam had wondered what he'd say to her after 10 minutes, two hours later and there wasn't a pause in the conversation. He hadn't realized she knew so much about old movies, science fiction, all kinds of things. Mercedes wasn't poor but she also knew all about thrift store shopping. She was currently describing the deal she got on the jeans she's wearing.<p>

"Ten dollars! Can you believe it? They're Seven's and cost like $150 in the store." She twirled so he could see. "That's a steal, am I right?"

"Do that again." he said with an appreciative grin.

"What?" Then suddenly she was embarrassed, blushing and stammering.

Hadn't anybody ever flirted with her before? "No, I'm serious. You look really good today. I really like those jeans, how you look In them." She got even more embarrassed.

"Well, that's very polite of you to say, kind sir." She made a joke of his compliment and quickly changed the subject. "What do yo want to do next?"

"You're not used to getting compliments, are you?"

"You dated Quinn and Santana so I'm sure you're used to giving them."

Sam tried to decode that remark. Finally he gave up. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing. You're sweet Sam, really sweet. Thank you for the compliment." But she was on edge for the rest of the day, until they ran into his mom and the kids after lunch. Then she focused on the babies.

* * *

><p><strong>Two Days Later<strong>

"How well do you know Mercedes?" Sam asked as he walked Quinn to her car a few days later after a babysitting session.

"A bit." Quinn seemed tense, though Sam could barely see her in the twilight. "Why?"

"We went to the carnival a couple of days ago. She seemed like she was on edge about something and she's been like that since. Just wondered if it was something I did, if you could find out if there's something I should apologize for."

"What happened, if you don't mind telling me."

"I told her she looked nice, and she did. She was looking really pretty that day."

"Then what?"

"She acted like she didn't believe it, like she thought I was lying. No, like I just said it to be polite. Then" he remembered what she'd said "she mentioned you and Santana. I could ask Santana if she knows, but I see you more often."

"Let me get back to you."

* * *

><p><strong>The next afternoon<strong>

"Hello Mercedes, Mrs. Jones. How are you two today?"

"Quinn?" both women seemed surprised to see her walk up the front walk. They'd be sitting on the front steps, talking and waiting for Dr. Jones to come home when Quinn pulled up.

"Fine, everybody's fine. What brings you here today?" Mrs. Jones asked politely. She hadn't seen Quinn since the day she moved out, suspiciously enough the week Mercedes was out of town. Mercedes was non-communicative on the subject of "how's Quinn doing" so Rita Jones guessed the girls had a fight before Quinn left. But no there was no fight, there was nothing. Literally nothing happened before or since. In fact, after the initial surprise at seeing Quinn walking up her front steps, Mercedes had retreated to her private place and ignored the blonde.

"I wondered if I could talk to Mercedes."

"Why?" Mercedes asked, just this side of hostile.

"Mercedes, is that polite? I'm going in to start dinner." Rita stood up. "Nice seeing you again Quinn." She hugged Quinn like she'd done every day when Quinn lived there.

"Thank you Mrs. Jones." Quinn primly arranged her skirt and sat down. "I saw Sam today." she started.

"I'm sure he enjoyed that. Seeing you." she leaned back and sighed.

"What does that mean?"

"Just what I said, I'm sure he enjoyed looking at you. Simple enough concept to grasp."

"And he doesn't enjoy looking at you?"

Mercedes said nothing for a minute or two. "Why are you here? Did you forget something when you left last summer?"

"No, Sam asked me if he'd done something wrong."

"Why, is he worried about losing a free babysitter? Tell him not to worry, he can count on me. Dependable is my middle name."

"No, he's worried that he did or said something to upset you. If he did he wants to fix it."

"I'm just peachy. I'll tell him tomorrow when I see him."

"Mercedes." Quinn said after a minute of silence. "I'm sorry."

"About what?"

"About the way I left last year." She lightly put her hand on Mercedes' knee, remembering how close they had been once. "I just wanted to forget the whole thing and you were part of it."

She ignored the hand on her knee. "Consider it forgotten. From this minute on the whole thing never happened." She stood up. "I gotta go help my mom. I would say goodbye but you don't believe in that." She let the door slam behind her.

* * *

><p><strong>The Next Day<strong>

They made an odd sight, Sam thought, watching the short black girl leading the two young blondes through the woods. Armed with the information Quinn had printed out they were examining leaves and bark, making careful notes in the notebooks Mercedes bought for them. She took pictures with her cellphone and promised to bring them next time. The three of them were staring at the ground when Stevie turned over a rock.

"Ewww!" Mercedes screamed and jumped back.

"It's just a garter snake." Stacey said, laughing so hard she almost fell over. She reached down and picked it up. Mercedes stepped back like it was a pit viper.

"That's nice. You can put it down now."

"Okay, but it's just a baby."

"Well I don't want to see the momma!"

"Sammy!" Stevie finally noticed Sam on the edge of the trail.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be a work? Did something happen?" Mercedes asked with concern.

"No, it was slow so they told me to take the rest of the day off. With pay! How great is that?"

"Then you don't need me to stay?" Again with that hesitant, uncertain look.

"I'd like it if you could stay." He held up a bag of bread crumbs. "I got these from work. We could go feed the ducks."

They sat on the bench by the lake, watching the kids feed the ducks. Mercedes avoided his eyes with a vengeance. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings the other day." Sam began. "I didn't mean to. I just..."

"It's okay, I'm just not used to guys flirting with me and overreacted. I'm sure you didn't mean anything by it."

"I did mean something. I meant it when I said you're pretty." He stared at the side of her face since she was refusing to look at him.

"Thanks but you shouldn't say things like that. It's better if you don't."

"Why wouldn't guys flirt with you?"

"I don't know. You'd have to ask them." she rubbed her temples like she was getting a headache. "You guys will be needing a ride home, won't you? The bus takes forever."

"Yes, thank you, but can I ask you something? My mom's home by now and I'm not working tonight. Would you like to go out, like on a date? A frugal date but I can afford coffee."

"Why would you want to do that? I'm sure there's a pretty girl who'd like to go out with you, even on a frugal date."

"I'm asking a pretty girl."

She frowned and rubbed her temples again. "That's really sweet of you to say that. But no."

"Do you already have a boyfriend?"

"Me?" she laughed. "No. Sam, I know what you're doing and it's really nice of you but I wish you wouldn't. Just stop."

"Stop what?"

"Stevie!" She stood up. "Stacey! We have to get going. Is it okay if I buy them ice cream?" she asked Sam without looking at him. "I promised."

* * *

><p><strong>Later that night<strong>

"Sam! It's Sam, right?" Rita Jones peered at the blonde standing on her doorstep, the second one this week.

"Yes Mrs. Jones. I just wondered if Mercedes was home."

"Was she expecting you?"

"No, I wanted to surprise her."

"Oh. You really should have called first, she's not home. She went out with some friends."

"Oh, Kurt and Rachel?"

"No, other friends. But I know where they went. They walked to a coffee house a couple of blocks down the street. Why don't you go on down, she'd be glad to see you."

* * *

><p>Sam sat on the bus home, staring out the window but not seeing Lima, Ohio slide past. The west side with its big old houses on wide lots, where Mercedes and most of the kids from McKinley lived. Closer to town where the houses are smaller, newer, closer together. Where he used to live and where Santana, despite her threats of "Lima Heights adjacent" still lives. Downtown Lima, the east side where the houses are older, shabbier. Past Jefferson High, which he should be attending but Figgens is letting him finish the school year at McKinley, to his seedy motel. It's seedy but it's home because home is wherever his family is.<p>

As he looks out the window he replays what he saw tonight. Mercedes was out with her friends, friends Sam recognized as band kids. It was a coffee house open mic night and when Sam walked in Mercedes was singing and that black girl who plays guitar in the band was playing. It was dark and crowded so Sam stood in the back, pretty sure that Mercedes couldn't see him from the stage. The first song was what he expected, something fast and happy about Brazil. It was the next two songs that had him thinking. He pulled out the small notebook he carries around these days. Due to his financial circumstances smart phones with unlimited data plans are a distant memory so he's old school with pencil and paper now.

_I learned the truth at seventeen_  
><em>That love was meant for beauty queens<em>  
><em>And high school girls with clear skinned smiles<em>  
><em>Who married young and then retired<em>

_It was long ago and far away_  
><em>The world was younger than today<em>  
><em>When dreams were all they gave for free<em>  
><em>To ugly duckling girls like me <em>

He had wanted to hug her, to run onstage and hug her when she finished. He didn't, the girl playing the guitar did and when the applause died down they sang the other song he wrote down.

_Tall and tan and young and handsome_  
><em>The boy from Ipanema goes walking<em>  
><em>And when he passes<em>  
><em>Each girl he passes goes - aaaaah<br>_

It was the same setup as before, three boys and two girls but he noticed they didn't seem paired off like Finn/Rachel, Kurt/Blaine + Mercedes. They seemed more like a group of friends out together having fun than people dating. Not wanting to intrude, he left before she noticed he was there. Would she have sung either of those songs in front of him? Is that how she sees herself, how she sees him? That would explain why whenever he tries to compliment her she brings up Quinn and Santana, the obvious beauty queen types. And she must think he's too good looking to really be interested in her.

He suddenly remembered something he'd overheard back when he performed with Quinn last year. Santana was being a bitch, complaining that any fool could see who won that duet contests, that Schuester was a racist pig. And Mercedes said Quinn and Sam 'fit' together, nobody would expect Schuester to put somebody 'distracting' front and center. The word distracting is why Sam remembered this, that she had described herself as 'distracting'.

A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. He'd heard, or read, that once and had no idea what it meant at the time. Add 'hidden in a diva' and it was a description of Mercedes Jones.

* * *

><p>His Eye Is One the Sparrow - Lauren Hill<p>

At Seventeen – Janis Ian

The Boy from Ipanema – Diana Krall


	2. Chapter 2

"Mercedes, can I ask you for a huge favor? Really huge?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Can I come over?" Sam could visualize that panicked look he'd being seeing if they were talking face to face, instead of on the phone so he rushed on. "I need to borrow your kitchen. To make a pie for my mom."

"You want to make a pie?" Now she sounded confused.

"It's her birthday and I can't really cook here."

"You cook?"

"A couple of things. Anyway, this is a top secret Evans family recipe. If you want I'll make two and you can have one, your family can have one."

"Sure. What kind of pie?"

"Sweet potato. The world's best sweet potato pie." he bragged.

"Oh no you didn't!" she was laughing now, a deep belly laugh. "My grandma, God bless her soul, gave me the worlds best sweet potato pie recipe. Sorry to be the one to break it to you."

"Are you challenging me to a duel?"

"Sweet potato pie at noon thirty. It's on!"

* * *

><p>When they first moved into the motel, Stevie and Stacey thought it was an adventure. A vacation. it didn't take long for the grind of five people sharing two beds to take it's toll. His parents slept in one bed, the kids in the other. At first Sam spent his nights being pummelled by arms and legs and, once the tension between his parents finally sunk in, the occasional wet bed.<p>

Luckily the hotel staff was nice and appreciated not having to clean the Evans' room every day because his mom kept things neat and clean. They even tipped Sam's dad off to an unused mattress in a room being renovated and 'accidentally' left a complete set of bedding in their room. As a result, these days Sam slept on the mattress on the floor. And the wet bed he woke up in had nothing to do with Stevie or Stacey.

Sam grabbed the blankets and dashed into the bathroom. He had never, never, had a dream like the one he just awoke from. He fantasized a lot about Quinn, especially since he quickly realized fantasy was all he was getting from her. Quinn wanted to be prom queen and she thought Sam was her best shot. Sam wanted to be popular and Quinn seemed like his ticket. They quickly settled into something that looked like a happy couple. Until Finn.

His next girlfriend, Santana, had quickly relieved him of his virginity. They were having sex in her car 10 minutes into their first 'date'.

_"I love you." he said, watching her carefully reapply her lipstick._

_"Sure you do." she replied sarcastically._

_He was confused, didn't she want to hear that from the guy she just had sex with?_

_"Let me explain it to you." She pulled her glossy hair into a ponytail. "I've got a thing for clueless blondes. You remind me of somebody. Somebody special. Somebody currently unavailable." She reached out and brushed his hair out of his eyes.__ Then she ran her fingers over his lips and smiled serenely. "I have so much to teach you."_

He never dreamed about Santana because there was no need to, Santana did stuff he didn't have the imagination to dream up. There was nothing, nothing, they hadn't done. He never asked, she never said who he reminded her of but that was one lucky guy!

He wasn't sure Mercedes wanted to be anybody's girlfriend, if he was willing to risk their friendship forcing something she didn't even want. He wasn't even sure if Mercedes was his type. In fact, he didn't know what his type was, what her type was. So why the hell was she dancing naked in his dreams?

* * *

><p>Mercedes was sitting on her front steps with the girl from the coffee house, both holding guitars, when Sam walked up at 12:15.<p>

"Sam, you remember Alice? Alice from McKinley's band?"

Alice. He'd never heard her name before. Of course band kids have names, why hadn't he ever thought of that? "Hey, Alice, nice to see you again."

"Pleasure." She seemed slightly irritated.

"I didn't know you played." he said to Mercedes.

"She doesn't." Alice said. "You probably saved her life, showing up before I decided to kill her. Sorry, babe" Alice stood up and addressed Mercedes "I can make money easier than this. Tim's right, I've got no patience. You promise not to play and I'll promise not to sing."

"Singing," she snickered. "Is that what you call it?"

"Maybe Sam can take a crack at teaching you. He's a decent player."

"That's high praise from the likes of Miss Alice. Carlos Santana barely meets her standards. Come on in and we'll get this pie party started."

* * *

><p>Maybe it was being in her own home, her safe place, but Mercedes was more relaxed than he'd seen her in days. She trash-talked his pie crust making skills. He scoffed at boiling the sweet potatoes first – roasting the sweet potatoes was the big Evans family secret. She feigned shock at putting marshmallows on top of a pie. After two hours of BS they were finally ready for a taste test.<p>

"Close your eyes!" Sam demanded.

"Close my eyes? Why?" she laughed.

"Because they look different, mine's all delectable and your's all store-brought. Blind taste test."

"Heck, like I don't know what my own grandma's pie tastes like! Okay!" She sighed and closed her eyes.

"Okay. Here's pie A." she felt the fork against her lips. Damn, that was good pie and it wasn't hers. She was stealing his secret, that's for sure.

"It's okay." she said begrudgingly. "Now the other one." Damn! But at least her pie crust was definitely better. "Can I try A again?"

"Sure!" She heard the fork click against the plate, probably sawing through that tough crust he made. She was formulating her argument that the crust was make or break for a decent pie when she felt a pair of soft warm lips against hers. And she thought his pie was delicious!

Mercedes has a reputation for being easily distracted but there's a reason for that, there's always two voices arguing in her head. Like right now for instance. One voice is yelling "Watch out, it's a trap!" The other voice is yelling "About damn time!" Mercedes choose to listen to the second voice and kiss back. She gently tasted his lips with her tongue.

"I'm sorry." Sam said huskily, sounding like he'd just run a mile. "I saw you standing there and I thought –_ Short and dark and cute and curvy the girl from West Lima goes walking and as she passes I smile, but she doesn't see_." He was looking at her like she was a wild animal that would run away any minute now.

"You saw that?" She was smiling, not getting defensive or suspicious like Sam had half expected. He relaxed. "My mom said she sent you down but I didn't see you. How much did you hear?"

"All of it. I thought that Seventeen song was so sad but it's really a 'it gets better' song isn't it? The world isn't what it seems at 17?"

"You looked it up?" Sam noticed how her eyes sparkled when she smiled.

"You care about it so I looked it up. Same with _The Boy from Ipenema_. Only I changed it around, all the things I like about you." No need to mention how he agonized all the way over whether to go with 'cute and curvy' or 'stacked and sexy'. The blue tank top she was wearing made one argument but he choose to play it safe. "I hope the Brazil song wasn't really about a boyfriend from Brazil."

"No, that was Alice showing off her guitar playing."

"So there's no boyfriend, Brazilian or otherwise?"

"No, but I"m thinking I should get one."

This was looking promising so he kissed her again, this time slipping in a little tongue and backing her against the kitchen counter. "So what happened? Last week you'd be freaking out by now." He tucked one of her black curls behind her ear.

"It was at the coffee house. I was there with Alice and some guy complimented us and of course I acted like he was a serial killer out looking for his next victim. Alice asked me how I expect to find happiness if I swing at it with a baseball bat every time it comes near. She called me a coward and said a coward dies a thousand deaths and a brave man only once. That's Shakespeare or some shit."

"You should hang out with Alice more often." He moved in for another kiss.

Next thing she knew, Mercedes was sitting on the kitchen counter, legs wrapped around Sam's waist, tongue down Sam's throat. He slipped his hand under her shirt and lightly ran his fingers along her spine. Up and down, making no attempt to unhook her bra or slip into her jeans. Not yet. One voice was screaming "Danger! Danger! Danger!" The other voice was screaming "Just shut the fuck up!" to the first voice. She pulled Sam closer. Now the first voice was going ballistic. "Didn't you learn anything from Quinn's example?" The second voice was describing a little girl, her skin the color of a perfectly baked pie crust. She had beautiful green eyes and the cutest light brown afro-puffs. Well, there also had to be an older brother to beat up kids who called her Minnie Mouse but right now Sam was in the park pushing the little girl in a swing. She was tall and strong like her dad so maybe she'd do her own beatdowns. The first voice was asking if Mercedes has lost her mind. The second voice was also asking her a question.

"Where is everybody?" No, it was Sam nibbling on her ear.

"Columbus." she whispered back. "All night. All alone in this house, just you and..." Then two sounds registered. One sound was a buzzer. The other was a knock on the back door followed by a key turning in the lock.

"Of course it's okay." She heard Kurt say. "They gave me a key! I'm family. Besides, the oven timer just went off. Somebody left something cooking." He was so familiar with this kitchen that he could grab a potholder and cross over to the oven without looking around. He opened the oven door and looked in.

"Something's cooking all right!" Blaine said, noticing the couple blinking at him in shock.

"What the heck are you doing standing around in the dark?" Kurt pulled the pies from the oven. "You could give somebody a heart attack. Why didn't you say something when I knocked?"

"I was about to yell We're coming! when ..." Sam started to respond.

Blaine found that hysterically funny "I'm sure you were." he guffawed.

"How mature!" Sam and Kurt said at the same time. Sam took a step back and offered Mercedes a hand getting off the counter. Well, at least they were both fully dressed. And thank God for that "Kiss the Cook" apron he was wearing or the whole thing would have been even more embarrassing.

"I invited Kurt and Blaine over to judge the pies." Mercedes mumbled. "Sorry, I got distracted."

"I see." Kurt said archly.

"I gotta get home!" Sam suddenly noticed the time. "I need to get this pie home before my mom comes home from work. Can I have a ride, Mercedes?"

"Sure. Kurt, make yourself at home. Be back in a few minutes. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

* * *

><p>"Why are we stopping here?" Sam asked as Mercedes pulled into the parking lot of Breadstix. "I'm kinda in a rush."<p>

"Only take a minute." Mercedes said, jumping out of the car. And true to her word she was back in two minutes, carrying a white envelope. "Here!" she tossed the envelope in his lap and started the car.

"What is it?"

"Look!"

Dinner for two at Breadstix. "I can't accept this. I'm supposed to buy you dinner!"

"It's not for you. It's for you mom's birthday."

"Well I definitely can't accept that!"

"Of course you can. You can pay me back."

He leered at her. "I like the way you think!"

"Not with sex. We're going to do that because we want to, not because you have to." She winked at him.

He clutched his heart. "I'm in love!"

"Yeah, well, you're also on the hook for three guitar lessons. According to Alice that's hard work."

"I'd teach you for free," he said, suddenly serious. "You know that, right?"

"You need a job, I want guitar lessons. Win/win. I want to do this Sam. Please let me." She smiled at him and then turned back to the road. "Please?"

"Damn I'm lucky to have met you. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Next. I need to borrow Stevie and Stacey."

"What do you mean, borrow them?"

"Well my folks are out for the weekend, that's the other reason Kurt came over, he's spending the night. Your mom and dad, they look like they could use a little 'alone time'."

"Hey, that's my mother you're talking about!"

"And do I have to explain how she became your mother? A woman has needs."

"Do they now?" he asked, softly brushing her arm with his fingertips. His touch was so light, she would have never guessed it based on how he mangled that pie crust. She focused on the road.

"Yes, they do. And it's hard to meet those needs with little kids in the room. Today in the kitchen, God knows what might have happened if Kurt hadn't walked in when he did. I didn't know whether to kiss him or kick him."

"I know what i wanted to do to him."

"Exactly. That's why Stevie and Stacey will be there when you spend the night at my house tonight. Between Kurt and the two of them nothing's happening in the Jones house. Not yet."

"Not yet." His green eyes twinkled. "But one day..."

Maybe not tonight but her smile held promise. It was a definite maybe.

* * *

><p><strong>The End<strong>


End file.
